Successful Three Across thread

Twinklefae

New member
For my home daycare, I have three across in my 2000 Mazda Protege

I have my DS rf'ing in a Truefit behind the driver, a Cosco Scenera FF'ing in the middle and a Radian FF'ing behind the passenger seat.

All belt stalks twisted down.

I'm a tech.

I'm really amazed at how well the Scenera and Radian fit together... almost like they were made that way!

100_0521.jpg

100_0529.jpg


ETA: Was fiddling around the other day, and realized that this works if the TrueFit is FF as well. I'm gobsmacked, but it all works.
 
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Cryssy Jane

New member
No pictures... I'll have to do it again.

2006 subaru impreza. All seatbelt installs. Checked by me (just waiting for tech cert to be posted)

Drivers side: rf radian xt
Center: rf combi coccoro
passenger side: rf CA
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
2003 Toyota Corolla

Driver's side to passenger side:

SafeGuard Go (harness mode), LATCH; RF Radian, seatbelt; Graco TurboBooster.

Booster is still difficult to buckle and unbuckle-- I've been buckling first, pulling slack into the lap portion, and having her wiggle under to get in. I am a tech.
 

kirsty

Member
in a ford mondeo 98

graco logico s with base
britax hi-liner highback booster
nania highback booster

graco logico s with base
britax hi-liner
nania backless booster

all with seatbelt, and the boosters very hard to buckle would be easier with out base on infant seat.
 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
Weather permitting, I will get pics of my 3 across tomorrow.

2000 Pontiac Grand Prix...all seat belt installs...all tethered.

Radian XT (passenger side FF), Britax DC (center FF) and Britax RA (driver side RF)
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
2002 Chevy Malibu

Frontier latch
RF radian 65 lap belt
Chicco key fit latch

This is the only time I have been able to use latch on 2 car seats in a three across!
 

scoutingbear

New member
2005 Highlander

Passenger side: Turbo (and yes, it can be buckled!)
Center: Nautilus
Driver's: RF Radian (old style boot)

All seatbelt installs. Not checked by a tech...yet!

Tried many other combinations and either couldn't get a good install, or couldn't buckle the turbo. (Stay tuned as the Murano is next on the list today using the same seats.)

Here is the best picture I could manage. Yes, I know the radian isn't tethered (and there are no straps in the GN either). I was playing in the driveway trying to see what might work for the new baby without getting all new seats (not that I wouldn't want to...I just can't afford to!)
DSCN3836.jpg
 
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family5oregon

New member
Had to show off my 3 across in our 1997 GMC Suburban with the brown Marathon cover from Judi (BIG THX)

Marathon (shoulder/lap belt) - Husky w/ TP cover (long lap belt path & tethered to 3rd row lapbelt - SN (should/lap belt)


BK3acros97suburbab.jpg
 

scoutingbear

New member
2009 Murano

GN, RF Radian, GN
GN, RF Radian, Turbo (hard to buckle, but doable. 6 year old not available for testing)

All seatbelt installs, not checked by a tech...yet.

DSCN3841.jpg

(Ignore the little model in the turbo. He wanted to try his brother's seat and as long as he was strapped in, he couldn't torment the kids next door! He is only 3 and rides in his GN, Radian, or MA)

DSCN3842.jpg
 
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myliljunebugs

New member
Okay, so I don't have any pictures, but this is what has worked in my car

2006 Hyundai Sonata all seat belt installs

Drivers side---------Center---------Passenger side
RF Scenera ---------FF RN-------Olli Booster
RF RN --------------FF RN---------Olli
RF RN---------------FF RN----------Parkway
RF RN---------------FF RN--------SK Monterey HBB, narrowest setting, PITB to buckle

RN FF'ing or RF'ing center with a booster on each side, any of the above will work

What WON'T work, I can't seem to find a way to make the EFTA work with any of these :( Regent is not possible that I can find (but maybe I just suck? :p), and I forgot to try the Vivo and it isn't with me right now.
 

rodentranger

New member
Added one. No edit?

2004 Expedition
2nd row, all seats LATCH installation
Drivers and passenger outboard, rf MA
center ff TF

2004 Expedition
2nd row, all LATCH
rf CA driver outboard, rf MA center, ff GN pass outboard. CA doesn't puzzle well with the MA, but I had a time constraint and didn't try shuffling anything around.
 

MySillyKids

New member
Make/Model/Year: 2005 Honda Odyssey
Install method: Seatbelts , LATCH
Configuration of seats:3rd row, Forward facing Radian, Rear Facing Radian, forward facing radian.
Seats used: RadianXT, radian65, radian65.
Checked by a Tech: Yes, two. :p

8ce25e3d.jpg
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
2003 Nissan Sentra

Driver's side to passenger side:

High back Graco Turbo Booster, Ride Safer Travel Vest (seatbelt only-- did not use tether, but you could), RF Complete Air (seatbelt, buckle twisted 3 times, used a rolled towel to get an approximately 35 degree angle, plenty of leg room in seat in front of it.)

I am a tech.

dcu0wx.jpg
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
2009 (?) Nissan Rogue -- maybe a 2010, it was a recent model as it was a rental car.

Driver to passenger, all seatbelt installs -- RFing Scenera, Cosco HBB (harnessed,) Highback Graco Turbo:

downsize-13-1-1.jpg


Not tech-checked, it was a rental setup I used for about two days. If I recall correctly, the Turbo wasn't bad at all to buckle, due to the way the seats puzzled together.

2006 Honda Pilot, 2nd row, driver to passenger, all seatbelt installs:

RF MyRide, RF Radian, Cosco Ambassador/Evenflo Big Kid backless-- but pretty much any seat would fit here
Cosco Ambassador, RF Radian, RF MyRide
RF MR, RF Radian, RF Scenera
FF Scenera, FF Nautilus, Cosco Ambassador/Evenflo Big Kid backless
Evenflo Big Kid, FF Nautilus, Cosco Ambassador
Baseless SR22, RF Radian, RF MR

Plan on twisting the buckle stalks when they're long, except of course with the boosters.

I'm sure many other combos would fit, too. It's a pretty wide seat. Radian will only fit front-to-back RFing in center, although if you're not using the front passenger seat it would probably fit there as well. RFing seats will only fit behind the driver if you have this row all the way back, in which case you cannot fit RFing seats in the 3rd row. As long as you can puzzle on the driver/center position, I would imagine you could fit many (most) things on the passenger side. I will edit in other combos as I find them, since I don't have my seat setup finalized yet.

3rd row:

Several combos with a seatbelt kid in one position or another. My ~90lb, 53" (?) 8yo fits the belt back there, and his ~60lb, 48" 6yo brother almost does. Staying in position is, of course, another story.

After much, much work, I was able to get the following, driver to passenger, seatbelt installs:

RF Radian, RF Coccoro, RF MR

downsize-11-1.jpg


Many, many, many caveats...
1) This is a VERY difficult install. Although I'm not a tech, I have done many 3-acrosses, and this the hardest one I've ever done. It took literally hours, tons of combinations, and help from my roommate, to get it all in.
2) There are a number of installs that seem tight back there, until you check for independent tightness, and then they are VERY loose. This is especially true of the Coccoro, driver outboard. Beware.
3) I have not verified the MR install (nor have I used it yet,) but based on what I learned I'm reasonably sure it's tight. I just couldn't take out the other seats once I got them in. I'll need to use it this afternoon, so I'll be verifying/reinstalling at naptime.
4) Do NOT lock the shoulder belt on the Coccoro if you route it around the back, you will be very sorry if you do... it rotates the seat upwards and messes up the whole install.
5) You'll need to load these kids through the hatch.
6) The second row of seats will be folded down while you install these. Unless there's a way I don't know about, you have to put the row into its upright and locked position to get it to lock upright. Then lean over the seat, and move the benches all the way forward -- I think it's five clicks -- and that's the only way you'll have enough room for the RFing seats.

I also learned that the Coccoro and Nautilus do not fit in ANY 3-across combo. Nautilus does not fit at all on the 40% portion of the seat. Graco Turbo is nearly impossible on the 40% portion of the seat, due to the fact that the base more-or-less covers the buckle in such a way that it's extremely difficult to get it buckled. Cosco Ambassador actually works well.

This has not yet been tech-checked, once I get all of my seats (I'm still waiting for a booster or two to arrive) I plan on taking the whole vehicle to get it checked. I'm comfortable using the installs in the meantime; I tend to be pretty picky about my seats.

Editing to add:

I checked the 3rd row and determined the Coccoro was NOT independently tight in the center, though it was close. It was when I put it in, but I think I knocked it askew when installing the MR. MR was fine. It may have been possible to get the Coccoro okay, but in the midst of working on it, I discovered the MR actually fit in that same spot.

I took the process of install Radian, install MR, remove Radian. Check MR for tightness (it actually required me tightening it a tad more.) Put on MR locking clip. Uninstall MR. Install both Radian and Coccoro, checking for individual tightness. Reinstall MR.

Getting the MR to buckle is very, very hard. I've done it twice; first time I had my hand under the MR cupholder/between MR & CCO working the buckle while my roommate went through the hatch and practically did a jumping handstand in the MR. Second time, I went through the hatch, peeled back the MR cover and was able to get one hand thru the beltpath, and other hand between the MR & CCO to get two hands' pressure on the buckle, and perform a contortionist routine to sling one leg over the seat to get enough pressure in the seat to buckle the MR. It was pretty funny looking I'm sure, and scraped up my arm... I alarmed the dcparent in the driveway with my "GOT IT!!!" yell when the danged thing finally buckled.

After the whole thing is installed, I lock the MR belt, loosely. Or if I don't, the kids do, climbing in and out. If I have to take out the MR, I leave the locking clip on but unbuckle the belt at the plug (no clue what to call it -- the buckle that's not the normal buckle, lol,) so that it can retract enough to unlock without taking off the locking clip.

I have not taken a picture.
 
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rodentranger

New member
2001 Ford F350 SuperDuty
rf driver outboard MA, seatbelt install
ff center CA, seatbelt install no top tether (no anchors available)
rf passenger outboard MA seatbelt installation

FF CA puzzles quite well with a rf MA!
 

DahliaRW

New member
So of course I forgot to get pics while I had them installed, oh well.

2009 Sienna rear bench

Rfing radian, passenger side outboard, installed with LATCH and RF tethered to bolt on floor that is for moving the captain's chairs too.
Rfing SS1 with base, middle, installed with LATCH
Turbobooster driver side outboard. I pulled the seatbelt buckle under the LATCH holding the SS1 and they didn't interfere at all. To buckle, I had to reach through the holes on the front of the SS1 base, then buckle him, then pop the baby's seat in.
 

Cryssy Jane

New member
2006 Mazda MPV van 3rd row. All seatbelt installs, No LATCH in the 3rd row.

Drivers side ------ center ------- Passenger side
RF RNXTSL -------- rf CCO --------- rf CCO
All solid, checked by me.
the carrot cake cco tilts very slightly due to the bump in the XTSL, however it's less than a 1/2 inch total so I didn't think it was that bad.
IMG_0604.jpg
 

scoutingbear

New member
2005 Highlander

KF 30 no base (driver's side), Turbo, FF Radian 65 (LATCH install, passenger side)

Hard to buckle the turbo, he couldn't do it, but I could somewhat easily do it between the side of the turbo and the Radian. Sorry, no pictures. Forgot to take the camera out to do it before the baby went home today.
 

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